Duplex container and locking means therefor



Dec. 18, 1962 H. AMATEL DUPLEX CONTAINER AND LOCKING MEANS THEREFORFiled NOV. 30, 1959 11 Fl G. 6

INVENTOR AMATEL Has.

HAROLD United States Patent ()fiti c e estates Patented Dec. 18, 19623,ti69,htl3 DUPLEX CQNTAENER AND LOQKIWG MEANS THEREFOR Harold Amatel,Verona, N.J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, EastPittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 30, 1959, Ser.No. 856,115 7 Claims. (Cl. filo-dill) This invention relates tocontainers and, more particularly, to a duplex type container forpackaging two groups of articles and to means for conveniently,economically and separably locking the packed container segmentstogether to form a single package.

In my copending application Serial No. 763,070 filed September 24, 1958,now U.S. Patent No. 2,980,240, owned by the same assignee as the presentinvention, there is disclosed and claimed a sleeve type article-packingand dispensing carton that is open along one side and provided withinturned flaps thereat which resiliently engage and retain a pluralityof articles in side-by-side single-row formation Within the carton.Since the retaining flaps must engage each of the packed articles inorder to be effective only a single row of articles can be accommodated.This presents a problem in the case of such articles as miniature typephoto-flash lamps or the like, for example, that are customarily sold inlots of twelve and are preferably so packaged as to be easily portableand readily withdrawn for use, in that a single carton containing thisnumber of lamps would be too long to be inconspicuously and convenientlycarried by the user. The desired compactness could be achieved byarranging two 6-lamp packs in abutting side-by-side relation to form aduplex package and the cartons wrapped in' cellophane or the like.However, the additional cost of the extra wrapping material andoperation required make this type of package impractical.

It is accordingly the general object of this invention to provide aduplex type container and package that is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and assemble.

Another and more specific object is the provision of means for securelybut separably locking the two segments of a duplex type package orcontainer together with a minimum amount of labor and material.

The foregoing, and more detailed objects which will become apparent asthe description proceeds, are achieved by utilizing a pair ofsleeve-like cartons of the type described in the aforementioned US.Patent No. 2,980,240 as the container segments and fabricating aprotruding locking tab-and-tongue assembly from a part of each of suchcartons that was heretofore necessarily discarded. Such lockingassemblies are provided at only one end of each of the cartons and areadapted to be inserted into the other carton between the end wall andend edges of the inturned article-retaining flaps at the adjacent end ofthe other carton and automatically snapinterlock with the inturnedarticle-retaining flaps thereat when the cartons aree abuttingly seatedone against the other. In this manner the container segments or cartonsare securely but separably locked together at both ends in side-by-sidecoplanar abutting relation to form the desired duplex container orpackage.

A better understanding of this invention will be obtained from thefollowing description of the embodiment thereof shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the duplex lamp package accordingto this invention, portions of the side walls of each of the cartonsbeing broken away to more clearly illustrate the locking means atopposite ends of the two cartons;

' of each of the cartons.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation along the line LIL-II ofFIG. 1, in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the preformed blank fromwhich each of the cartons shown in the other figures is fabricated;

H6. 4 is a perspective fragmentary View of one of the loaded cartonspreparatory to the coupling thereof with the other carton or segment ofthe package;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjacent ends of the twocartons before the locking assembly has been collapsed for insertion;and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the final phase of the package assemblyoperation showing the last of the locking structures collapsed and readyfor insertion into the adjacent end of the other abutting carton.

While the present invention may be advantageously employed in unitizingtwo separately packaged groups of various kinds of articles that lendthemselves to this type of merchandising, it is especially adapted foruse in conjunction with duplex photoflash lamp packages and hasaccordingly been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the drawing, in FIG. 1 there is shown aduplex photoflash lamp package according to the present invention whichpackage consists of two loaded cartons A and B that are open at one sideand coupled together in coplanar abutting relationship with their opensides facing each other. The cartons A and B are of substantially thesame dimension and configuration and generally comprise a pair of endwalls 12, a pair of side walls 14 and a bottom wall consisting, forexample, of a pair of interlocked closured panels 16, arranged andconnected together to form a rectangular sleeve type enclosure.

Each of the cartons A and B is fabricated from a preformed blank 26 (see'FIG. 3) of relatively stiff packaging material such as paperboard orthe like and contains six well-known miniature type photoflash lamps 29arranged in side-by-side single-row formation. The lamps 2b areseparately and collectively maintained in their loaded positions by apair of resilient article-retaining flaps 18 that are hingedly connectedto and coextensive with the side walls 14 and inturned into theirrespective cartons. As shown most particularly in FIG. 2, thearticle-retaining flaps 18 are located at and extend inwardly from theopen sides of the cartons and, by virtue of the inherent resiliency ofthe carton material, are biased toward one another into generallyconvergent relationship within the cartons and are accordingly normallyspaced from the adjacent side walls thereof. The inner ends of theretaining flaps iii are serrated and adapted to coactively andelastically grip the inwardly flared constricted ends of each of thepacked photofiash lamps 20 in such a manner as to maintain the latter inloaded position within the cartons. A carton of this character and themanner in which the inturned article-retaining flaps 18 coact to permitthe packed photoflash lamps 20 or other articles to be separately orcollectively dispensed from and then reinserted into the carton aredescribed in detail and claimed in the aforementioned US. Patent No.2,980,240.

The coupling of the loaded cartons A and B in the desired coplanarabutting relationship to form a single compact package of the type shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 is achieved according to this invention by providing anoutwardly projecting locking assembly at opposite ends As shown moreparticularly in FIGS. 4 to 6, each of the locking assemblies comprises aprotruding member such as an elongated tab 22 and a pair of resilientlycollapsible cleat-like flap elements such as tongues24 that are hingedto the sides of said tab. As shown in FIG. 3, the tab 22 and tongues 24are fabria,oes,cos

cated from the portion of the preformed blank 26 that lies between thearticle-retaining flaps 18 and extends outwardly from the centrallylocated end wall 12, which portion was heretofore necessarily cut out ofthe blank and discarded in order to prevent it from interfering with theinturning or subsequent freedom of movement of the article-retainingflaps. The tongues 24 are separated from the adjoining article-retainingflaps 18 by divergent cut lines 21 and are hinged to the tab 22 along apair of convergent score lines 23, the aforesaid cut and score linesmeeting and forming an apex at the corners of the adjacent end wall 12.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 4 to 6, the tab 22 by virtue of theforegoing construction is integral with and constitutes a rigidextension of the end wall 22 and tapers inwardly toward its outer end,whereas the hinged tongues 24 are integral with their respective tabsand taper in the opposite direction. The tongues 24 are, accordingly,triangular-sh ped and of maximum width at their outer ends and, whendisposed fiat in the same plane as the end wall of which it is a part,extend beyond the side walls 1 5 of the abutting carton, as shown inFIG. 5. The tabs 22 are preferably delineated from their respective endWalls 12 by a perforated line 25 to permit said tabs to be easily andneatly separated from the end walls and the cartons A and B thusconveniently and quickly broken apart, after they are locked together inpackage form.

Locking of the loaded cartons A and B in abutting relation isaccomplished by first collapsing the tongues 24 of one of the cartonsagainst and in overlapping engagement with the inner face of therespective tab 22 along the score lines 23, which operation is depictedin the upper portion of FIG. 6. The collapsed tongues 24 and tab 22 arethen inserted into the side opening of the other carton, at the endthereof that does not have a locking assembly, between the end wall 12and end edges of the inturned article-retaining flaps 18 of the othercarton. The cartons are then firmly seated one against the other at thisend whereupon the tongues 24, by virtue of their resiliency and inherenttendency to spring away from the tab 22, will automatically snap intoupstanding position behind the inturned article-retaining flaps 18 ofthe other carton and become interlocked therewith. The locking assemblyof said other carton (carton B as shown in FIG. 6) is then manipulatedand inserted in the same manner, thereby securely snap-interlocking thepacked cartons A and B together at both ends and maintaining them intightly-clamped abutting but easily separated relation to form thecompact duplex package illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be noted that the engaged ends of the packed photofiash lamps 20tend to force the article-retaining flaps apart and that the tongues 24tend to spring back to their normal upstanding relation with respect tothe tabs 22. Thus, the tongues, once they are snapped into place behindthe retaining flaps, will remain firmly wedged between said flaps andthe adjacent side walls 14 of the cartons until the package is brokenapart and the tabs 22 severed along the perforated lines 25.

It will be recognized from the foregoing that the objects of theinvention have been achieved by providing a compact duplex typecontainer and package wherein the container segments are securely butseparably coupled together by a novel locking assembly that requires noadditional packaging material and that can be convenicntly fabricatedand snapped into place.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been described indetail, it is to be particularly understood that various modificationsin the construction and arrangement of parts can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A duplex container comprising a pair of enclosures hat are open alongone side and disposed in coplanar relation with the open sides thereofabutting one another, the abutting portions of each of said enclosuresbeing of substantially the same configuration and dimensions andincluding a pair of side wall connected by a pair of end walls, firstflap means resiliently hinged to the abutting edge of each of said sidewalls and protruding inwardly therefrom into the respective ones of saidenclosures, and locking means at oppositely-disposed ends of saidenclosures, each of said locking means comprising a rigid tabular memberthat is attached to and projects from an end wall of the respectiveenclosures and has a second llap means that is hingedly attached to aside edge thereof and is resiliently collapsible from upstandingposition into overlapping relation with said tabular member, the tabularmember of one of said enclosures being interposed between the proximateend wall and end edges of the first flap means of the other of saidenclosures, and the second flap means of one enclosure being sprung intoupstanding position behind and into interlocking engagement with thefirst flap means of the other enclosure, thereby locking said enclosurestogether at both ends in abutting relation.

2. A duplex container as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said first flapmeans comprises article-retaining fiaps that are inturned into theirrespective enclosures and are disposed in normally-convergent relationtherein, said tabular members comprise integral parts of the respectiveend walls, and said second fiap means comprise cleat-like tongues thatare resiliently hinged to the side edges of the respective tabularmembers and are normally disposed in upstanding position.

3. A duplex container as set forth in claim 1 wherein, said first meanscomprises article-retaining flaps that are substantially coextensivewith the side walls of said enclosures, and said second flap meanscomprises tongues that are enlarged at their outermost ends.

4. A duplex container comprising a pair of opensided sleeve-like cartonsof substantially the same configuration and dimensions disposed incoplanar relation with their open sides facing and abutting one another,each of said cartons having a pair of side walls and a pair of end wallsand article-retaining flaps that are resiliently hinged to andsubstantially coextensive with the abutting edges of said side walls,said article-retaining flaps being inturned into the respective cartonsand normally disposed in convergent relationship therewithin, anelongated locking tab projecting from and constituting a rigid extensionof oppositely-disposed end walls of said cartons, a resilientlycollapsible but normally upstanding triangulanshaped tongue hinged toeach of the side edges of said locking tabs, said tongues being ofmaximum dimension at their outermost ends approximate the free ends ofsaid locking tabs, the locking tab of one carton being interposedbetween the proximate end wall and end edges of the inturnedarticle-retaining flaps of the other carton, and the tongues of onecarton being seated and interlockingly wedged behind the inturnedarticle-retaining flaps of the other of said cartons, whereby saidcartons are locked together at both ends in abutting relation.

5. A duplex container as set forth in claim 4 wherein, said cartons arefabricated from integral cut and scored blanks, and each of said lockingtabs is joined to its respective end walls along perforated lines andsaid container is thereby rendered conveniently separable into twosegments.

6. A package separable into two self-contained segments each of whichencloses a plurality of articles, said package comprising twosleeve-like cartons of substantially the same configuration anddimensions open along one side and disposed in coplanar abuttingrelation with their open sides facing one another, a row of articlespacked in each of said cartons, each of said articles havinginwardly-flared constricted ends that are disposed toward the open sidesof said cartons, an article-retaining flap resiliently hinged to each ofthe side walls of said cartons along the edge thereof that defines thecarton opening, said article-retaining flaps being inturned into theirrespective cartons and coactively gripping the inwardly flared portionsof the packed articles and thereby maintaining said articles in loadedposition within the respective cartons, an elongated ta-b attached toand pro jecting from end walls located at opposite ends of said cartons,a resiliently collapsible but normally upstanding tongue hingedlyconnected to at least one of the side edges 01 each of said tabs, thetab of one carton being interposed between the proximate end wall andend edges of the inturned article-retaining flaps of the other of saidcartons, and the tongues of one carton, by virtue of their resiliencyand the pressure exerted on said article-retaining flaps by the packedarticles, being interlockingly wedged behind the article-retaining flapsof the other carton, thereby locking the packed cartons together at bothends and maintaining them in abutting coplanar relation withoutdislodging any of the packed articles from their loaded positions.

7. A package as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said locking tabsis sevcrable from its respective end walls along perforated lines andsaid package is thereby rendered conveniently separable into two unitseach containing a predetermined number of articles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,253,489 Houghland Jan. 15, 1918 1,996,172 Reed Apr. 2, 1935 2,714,445Nemoede Aug. 2, 1955 2,834,461 Dusseault May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS375,694 Great Britain June 30, 1932

